The present invention relates to a portable fluorescent X-ray analyzer mainly aimed at outdoor elementary analysis, such as archaeological sample examination, criminal field searches, fire patrol searches, scrap article inspection etc.
In the case of a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer comprising a measurement head and an operating section, in order to make ordinary operations efficient there are two operators, one for arranging the measurement head facing towards a sample, and another operating the operating section to collect measurement data, and the two operators co-operate with each other to perform measurement.
A portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer of the related art has a switch for designating X-ray generation provided in one of either the measurement head or the operating section, and the generation or suspension of X-rays is entrusted to a single operator.
For this reason, there is a drawback, from the point of view of the operator who does not operate the switch constituting the X-ray generation/suspension means, that X-ray generation or suspension can also be carried out in an unfavorable situation.
The present invention has as its object to provide an extremely safe portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer to overcome the above described problems in the conventional art.
In order to achieve the above described object, the present invention is a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer, in which an X-ray switch is attached to both a measurement head and an operating section, and in a state where a safety switch arranged on the measurement head is ON, X-rays are only generated when both of the X-ray switches are operated at the same time.
Furthermore, if the safety switch provided on the measurement head is turned OFF to stop X-rays, even if the safety switch is turned on again, it is not possible to generate X-rays until both the measurement head side X-ray switch and the operating section side X-ray switch are momentarily turned OFF.
Further, display means for indicating that X-rays can not be generated when the safety switch is turned OFF and the measurement head side X-ray switch and the operating section side X-ray switch both remain ON, unless both the measurement head side X-ray switch and the operating section side X-ray switch are turned OFF, is provided in at least the measurement head or the operating section.